I took a long walk yesterday, which was my day off. I was doing my best to delay adding up all my deductions for our tax return (we always file an extension.) It’s all very complicated, my coaching fees, my living expenses out of town, and now, ad income and Etsy income. Yikes. I don’t like doing this kind of stuff. I’m not someone with a head for figures. I’m in the Arts, remember?
Anyway, I took lots and lots of iPhone photos which I’ll share with you throughout the week. First stop? My favorite place in Hartford – the Hartford Public Library. Honestly, if I could work anywhere (besides the theater) I’d work here. It’s my dream library; airy, full of windows and books and computers and research materials, with a café and art exhibits.
The café, called The Kitchen. Look at those very stylish chairs I see all over Blogland. This library is hip. I must grab a meal there this week.
I didn’t come to the library to check out a book. I came for this exhibit: Hartford Stage Stagecraft. It’s the 50th anniversary of Hartford Stage and it’s being celebrated all year long. It was founded by Jacques Cartier, who, as it happens, is a former colleague of mine. We were on the faculty of the School of Theater at Boston University. I worked with him for five years and coached several of his productions, both at BU and at the Huntington Theater. We had a little reunion last spring when he attended a performance of Twelfth Night.
This exhibit highlights some of the props, set designs and costume designs from the past 50 years.
Beautiful dress, right? It’s made out of paper. It’s called The Map Dress. Here’s the story behind it:
A close-up:
Stunning.
For the character of Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals.
For Ariel in The Tempest, a production that I coached.
For Hartford Stage’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird – costumes for Atticus and Scout. Be still my heart.
A display centering on the current productions in The Rep: Macbeth and La Dispute.
And a lizard costume for Edward Albee’s Seascape.
This exhibition will be touring throughout the area during the course of this 50th Anniversary Season. If you live nearby, I think you’d find it fascinating. Even I, who have seen more costumes than I could ever begin to count, find this part of the creative process fascinating. I am in awe of costume designers and the people in the Costume Shop who bring those designs to life.
More from Hartford tomorrow.
The winner of a copy of The Returned, chosen, as always, by The Random Number Generator, is Donna from An Enchanted Cottage. Congratulations!
Happy Tuesday.
Claudia, Thanks for sharing parts of the exhibit with us! That is very cool that you were once a faculty member at Boston Universiity. I bet your students loved having you! The paper dress is exquisitie! What a fabulous idea that they brought to life. I know it was amazing to see the costumes from your fav, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The library there looks amazing. Congrats to Donna for winning a copy of the book! The thing I miss about working at UM is all the interesting exhibits at all the museums and libraries on campus.
I taught at BU for 5 years and then went on to teach in the MFA acting program at The University of San Diego/Old Globe Theatre for 8 years.
Claudia:
The costumes are just wonderful. I love this part of the process of theater production, too. The “Map Dress” is simply stunning! I’ve seen “The Rivals” (at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater) and love this version of Mrs. Malaprop’s costume. I can almost see Atticus and Scout in their clothes, and the costume from “The Tempest” is another beauty. I would have loved to see the actor wearing the lizard costume from “Seascape”! Wonderful. I wish I were in CT so that I could see the exhibit in person…and share a cuppa with you at “The Kitchen”. Thanks for sharing. (Great iPhone photos, my friend!)
xo
Donna
The designs are amazing, aren’t they?
Claudia, thanks for sharing the great pictures! I love the map dress…what a wonderful concept and so beautifully executed. I would love to sit on one of those library cafe chairs and have a cup of coffee with you and we could spend the whole morning talking about books and art and theater! Have a great day, Martha
I can think of nothing I’d like more, Martha!
Wow. Those costumes are something. I like to go to plays, but have only been to a few, and they were in small communities so it is nothing like what you work on.
Thanks for the neat photos. (oh – oh showed my age there)
Smiles to you.
Linda
You are very welcome, Linda!
Fascinating, absolutely fascinating! Thanks for sharing, Claudia.
You are welcome, Gail!
What a great exhibit. I love the paper map dress. That high collar with the circular maps is amazing. I love the diversity of creativity in the world. Have a good week, Claudia.
Isn’t it incredible? It’s gorgeous.
Cool exhibit! Those costumes are wonderful! Thanks for the tour! ;)
You’re welcome, Donna!
Hi! I wish I could attend the exhibition and see the costumes in person. I´d love to see the map dress. It´s wonderful.
Greetings from Argentina
Greetings to you, Veronica! Thank you for stopping by!
Those costumes are gorgeous – especially the paper one! WOW! Looks like a very interesting exhibit. I’m sure you enjoyed it.
Judy
I did. It was really wonderful, Judy. You’d enjoy it, I know you would.
Loved seeing all the costumes that is an exhibit I would enjoy.
It’s really amazing to see them up close and read the notes on the design process, Dawn.
Hi Claudia!! What a wonderful exhibit on display in Hartford!! Thanks for bringing that to us!! The Map Dress was so intricate and lovely. It was really amazing!! I just love the library and its cafe!! What a great spot to have a bite to eat and look over books!! I loved seeing all the costumes on display!! This was fascinating!! Have a good rest of the day!! Francine
Isn’t that cafe wonderful? I think it’s for a good cause, as well. I’ll have to find out the details on that.
What a wonderful exhibit! Thank you for the photos. I loved them all but I also have a soft spot in my heart for “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Just seeing the suit I could picture Atticus. And Scout’s dress! All little girls should have dresses like this. Little girls only wear dresses now when they want to look like a princess but I so miss seeing them in school dresses and play clothes. And the Map Dress was so wonderful. Some people are blessed with the imagination to do these things and make the rest of us happy.
I love that kind of dress, which is very reminiscent of the dresses I wore as a girl.
Claudia, what a wonderful tour! I love that “map dress”! And of course the “To Kill A Mockingbird” costumes. What a great exhibition of some wonderful talent. Ann
The talent of those designers is phenomenal.
It all looks so wonderful Claudia..I miss seeing my dear niece in the theater productions at college..Next month I will be traveling to Philly to see her get married..life moves so fast doesn’t it..
Too fast, my friend.
What a wonderful library and that collection is amazing. I would love to see it in person. xo Laura
It’s pretty spectacular, Laura!
Thanks for taking us along on your tour! The map dress is amazing. I have the costume designer drawing for a Stratford Festival production hanging on my dining room wall and it’s one of my favourite pieces.
I have a poster from The Mikado, a production done at Stratford years ago. I saw it onstage and loved it. No place to hang it, however, so it’s being stored under the bed!
Interesting exhibit..I’ll keep my eyes open..